The 90 Day Challenge (and it’s not about weight loss!)

I have been in my new role as Business Development Consultant at BDC for two months now. I am not being paid to say this (ok, I am being paid something) but I am really enjoying it. I have an exceptional team around me, a challenging, yet not too challenging and varied role that appeals to my strengths and interests, a great (newly refurbished!) office space and even a car park. I also seem to be managing the holy grail of work/life balance. Most people would agree that I am in a lucky position.

I recently read that employees get about 90 days to prove themselves in a new job, according to the American Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). It stands to reason that on the flip side, a job must also get about 90 days to prove itself to a new employee. The 90 Day Challenge is ensuring this induction process is successful for both parties.

BDC’s successful induction programme (or if you are American, onboarding programme) is one of the key things that have helped me settle into my new job and to feel a part of the team. This in turn has allowed me to become a fast learner and an early contributor to the business.

When Induction Programmes Fail

The SHRM give eight scary statistics if the induction process doesn’t go well:

1. Nearly four percent of new employees leave their new jobs after a disastrous first day
2. A significant percentage of new employees quit their jobs within the first six months
3. Half of all new hires in leadership positions last three or fewer years
4. New employees decide within the first 30 days whether they feel welcome in the organization
5. 1 in 25 people leave a new job just because of a poor (or no) onboarding program
6. 40 percent of senior managers hired from the outside fail within 18 months of hire
7. Fewer than one-third of executives are satisfied with the onboarding process – calling it below average or poor
8. 64 percent of new executives hired from the outside will fail at their new job – in fact the average CEO is in the job less than four years.

Characteristics of Successful Induction Programmes

The SHRM go on to suggest ‘Four C’s’ for successfully inducting employees – a process which aims to increase employee job satisfaction and performance while reducing staff turnover rates:

• Compliance – the lowest level – teaching employee’s basic legal and policy-related rules and regulations
• Clarification – ensuring that employees understand their new jobs and all related expectations
• Culture – broad category that includes providing employees with a sense of organizational norms — both formal and informal.
• Connection – the vital interpersonal relationships and information networks that new employees must establish.

Global Induction Programmes

And what do other company induction programmes look like?

• IBM created a three step Assimilation Process – Affirming (workplace setup prior to the employee joining), Beginning (The first 30 day orientation programme) and Connecting (networking within IBM and coaching).
• L’Oreal has a two-year, six-part integration program called the ‘L’Oreal Fit’. This includes training and roundtable discussions, meetings with key insiders, on-the-job-learning supported by line management, individual mentoring, and field and product experiences.
• Kellogg’s uses a transition website where employees can assess their own induction status using a track record tool. The tool analyses the strengths and weaknesses of their recent activities to show areas for improvement in their formal induction plan.

Have you recently started in a new position, or with a new company? What is your experience so far? Or, are you helping introduce someone new to your team? How are you going about ensuring this is successful?

Chantell Bramley
Business Development Consultant, BDC

Reference: Bauer, Talya  N. Onboarding New Employees: Maximizing Success. ©2010 SHRM Foundation. CLICK HERE to read the full report.